YuvaSpark Smart Anganwadi Project

Under the ICDS Scheme, Karnataka currently has 66,361 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) that cater to 40 lakh+ children. According to UNICEF, ‘Quality pre-primary education is the foundation of a child’s journey: every stage of education that follows relies on its success.’ Studies have directly linked a minimum of one year of pre-primary education (i.e., ECE) to increased school completion rates. Unfortunately, schooling at the pre-primary level in rural areas is producing low learning outcomes. According to a report published by WISE, 43% of low-income children in India can’t recognize the alphabet and 35% can’t recognize numbers 1-9 in Grade 1. Additionally, it is important to note that according to The Centre on the Developing Child of Harvard University, 90% of a child’s brain development happens before the age of 5. Therefore, children are becoming inherently less capable as this lack of stimulation and building of neuronal connections in their early years becomes more and more difficult to change through remedial interventions later in life. Yuvaspark aims to use interactive, custom-designed, digital modules, aligned with the Chili Pili curriculum with the aim of bolstering memory retention and increasing the efficiency of Early Childhood Education provided to children in Anganwadis in Karnataka. 

Through YuvaSpark’s Smart Anganwadi Project, we aim to set up 50 Smart Anganwadi Centres. Our project will provide a 48-module, custom-designed Kannada-language curriculum, teacher training sessions, and periodic assessments for children. We will set up an interactive touch LED panel with customised digital content based on the Chili Pili curriculum certified by the Women and Child Development Department. Our program aims to take advantage of the rapid neurological development of the brain during early childhood to lay the foundation for future education and learning.  It promotes the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the child and prepares them for primary schooling 

YuvaSpark is executing this project in partnership with the Women and Child Development Department in Karnataka,

YuvaSpark wants to catalyze pedagogical innovation at Anganwadi centres in rural Karnataka. By equipping teachers with digital learning tools, we want to increase foundational literacy, foundational numeracy, and value-based learning.

Over the next 3 years, The project will directly impact 15,000+ children and indirectly impact 50,000+ children at 50 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). The district of Ramanagar has 330+ centres.